Engine



Dec. 29, 1931. D. A. GRAY 1,839,147

ENGINE Filed May 16, 1928 4 SheetS-Sheet l M g 1 v av i/s/W- Mm ATTO EY D. A. GRAY Dec. 29, 1931.

ENGINE Filed ma 16, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Dec. 29, 1931. D. A. GRAY I 1,339,147

ENGINE Filed May 16, 1928 I 4 Sheets-Sheet; s

INyENTOR 76? (i'z'cqg.

' ATTORNEY.

Dec, 29, 1931. I D. A. GRAY 1,839,147 ENGINE Fiied May 16, 1928 4 sheets-sheet 4 INVENIOR fif-i ay v.1) line 22'of Figure 1;

Patented Dec. 29, 1931 v UNITED IDAVIID ennu GRAY, or: GHATTAN'OOGA; TEn-nEss E 1 ENG NE l i v .-App1ication filed. Mej a 1928. Serial No. 278,205,

This invention relates'to improvements in er1-gines, and it consists ofthe constructions, combinations and arrangements herein described and claimed.- i r An object of the invention is to provide "an engine that is operable by steamor any other 'desired'fluid under pressure, a particular attribute being that'the direction ofto a vibrationless apparatusf :Another object of; the invention "resides in the simple construction and'novel disposi 20 tion of the principal parts. i I.

'Other objects and advantages appear in the "following specification reference being v chamber generally designated 7.

had to the accompanying drawings; in which,

' Figure 1 is a side elevation of the engine,

5 the view showing the-structure as it appears when 'looking in the direction of the steam intake and exhaust pipes at-one side of the stator,

Figure 2 is a vertical Figure 3 is a detailsection'taken at right angles to the main shaft to particularly show the relationship of the pistons 'torthe valve plate, I i

Figure4 is aplan View of theengine;

Figure 5 is across section taken-substantially on'theline 5-5 of Figuren, 1 -:Figure 6 is a horizontal section-taken. on "the line 6"6-of Figure '1, A i 7 1.-

Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the relative progression of one ofthepistonsand valveplate. I 1

"It is recognizedthat many attempts have been made to produce an engine that will op- 545 erate smoothly andefiiciently, andvwhile the endeavors valong'these lines have. met with a measure of success therefisyetopportunity for improvement because all engines, arenot adaptable toa variety of motivefluids/fo'r accomplishing the ultimate purpose as is here section taken on the the case The imP V dengine will VQPerate ot y nd efficiently by force ofia variety Of-pressurefiuids such as steam, gas, liquid, etc. under pressure. I a

Another attribute-of the engine is that the 1.55 I

directionof rotation of the mainshaft can be reversed-without the use-of any reversing gear. As presently appears, impulses re supplied at a'plurali'ty-ofgpoints. Each point of application ofthe notiveforce has" an 6; associatedexhaust. It ismerely by'reversing the force that a reversal of the direction is secured; in other words by'introddcing pressure intheform-er exhaust ports and utili'zi ng the former intake ports 5 as exhaust ports, the object isa'ccomplished. l "f Reference ijs made :to the drawings A base 1 'compri'sespar t'0f a stator-generally designated- 2. lA main' shaft 3 isjournaled upon the stator, andthe former-carries a rd- 7 tore which has a plurality of pistons5 and 6 ig. 3')' which operate in "the"w0rking V The base is made'in two sections as'is most clearlyseenin Figure 2: These parts include 175 flanges 8 through which bolts 9 are passed to secure the'sections' in the assembled position. "Suitablegaskets will-be interposedin practice. r

Both stator sections are identical in structure so thatonemightbe substituted for the otherQiand one patternwill-suffice forboth. 9A globular central body 10 ig.- 2) receives thesemi-globular"sections 11 of bearings 12 in-which the main shaft 8 runs (Fig. 6)". The

bearings areappropriately babbitted at 13.

isseeninFigure 6. 1 V I It isointended to separably fit the sections withinthe globular body -10. The advantage ,ofseparabilityis chiefly. concerned withthe manufactureandfuture use of the engine.

.It. is possible vthat one of-the bearings '12- may at some time 'becomedainaged or subject/to replacement for other. reasons. .In such. cases i it is a comparatively easy operation to take out a section 11, obviating what would otherwise become a requirement to replace an entire half of the engine stator.

Suitable means will be employed to hold the bearings 12 fixed. The semi-globular sections '11 must not turn within the body 10. However, the rotor 4 obviously does turn, and the engagement of its side edges with the edges of the sections 11 providesfinely fitting joints. Rings embedded-in the body 10 adjacent to the sides of the working chamber 7 bear upon the periphery of the rotor 4 and prevent the escape of pressure fluid into the globular body. v 7

It is a reconsideration to make tlierotor 4 wider than the working chamber 7 (see Fig. 6). The rotor may thus overlap those porti'ons of the globular body 10 adjacent to the working chamber and thereby receive the end thrusts of the rotor, thus eliminating the possibility of wear upon the edges of the sections 11 and the looseness of the rotor that might follow.

The portions mentioned provide the seats for the rings 15, the entire arrangement being not only simple in conception but efiicient in operation.

Pairs of chests 16, 17 and 18, 19, respectively at the bottom and top of the stator 2 (Fig. 2), take care of the motive fiuid. The chests '16 and 18 receive steam from pipes 20 and 21 while the chests 17 and 19 receive exhaust steam from the working chamber. That steam is conducted away by pipes 22 and 23.

.The pipes 21 and 23 are screwed into the chests 18 and 19 directly, but the pipes 20 and 22 are screwed into conduits 24 and 25 that are purposely of elongated form to add stability to the base and to the engine in general. The base and conduits'are joined by a web.

A valve plate 26 rotates upon the semiglobular sections 11 of the main shaft bearings (Fig. 6). This plate also rotates upon a portionof the periphery of the rotor 4 (Figs. 2 and 3). The valve plate is circular and has a circular central opening 27 to receive both the sections 11 and the rotor. This peculiar condition can be understood when the disposition of the parts is considered. The reader may face the stator as in Figure 1. The steam and exhaust pipes 20 and 23 will be seenv to pass directly in, in other words,

parallel to the axisof vision, so to speak. The valve plate 26 is disposed and rotates in a plane at right angles to that axis. The main shaft 3 is regarded as horizontal, but ,it transfixes the stator at an angle of 45 from the position in Figure 1 or, looking down upon the engine (Figs. 4 and 6), the main shaft 3 is seen to occupy a position half way ggtween the pipes 20, 23 and the valve plate 1 Inasmuch as the valve plate is at 45 to the be lubricated. From there the oil may creep outwardly and lubricate the sides and other portions of the valve plate.

Such portions include what may be known as a passage 28in which the main flat part 1 and the peripheral head 29 of the valve plate are situated and rotate. On the head 29 is a gear 30 with which a pinion 31 meshes and by which the valve plate is rotated. The shaft 32 of the pinion carries a bevelled gear 33 which is driven by a larger gear 34 on the main shaft 3. The peripheral head 29 is semicircular in cross section. It juts out beyond the sides of the body of the plate, forming annular shoulders 35.

It is in the corners of the latter that the ball bearings 36vrun. These cornersvas well as parts of the stator and follower rings 37 compose a race for eachset of balls. The rings are adjustable by means38 comprising bolts andlocknuts as shownin Figure 6, these being provided in sufficient numbers to secure a uniform bearing upon the rings.

I Sets 39, 40,'and 41, 42 of ports control the passage of steam. The shape of all of the ports is the same. They have components 43 communicating with the working chamber 7, and components 44 communicating with the steam chests.

The former are lateral in respect to the valve plate while the latter are radial in respect to the head 29. The set 39, now constitutes the steam admission ports, while the set 41, 42 constitutes the exhaust ports.

It is now that one of the functions of the engine is more readily understood. Steam entering at the ports 39 and 40 will drive the rotor 4 in one direction (Fig. 3). Exhaust steam will escape at the ports 41 and 42. Reversal of the steam pressure, that is, admission atthe pipes 22, and 23 would convert the ports 41 and 42 into admission ports, and ports 39 and 40 into exhaust ports, so that the rotor 4 would be revolvedin the opposite direction (Fig. It is thus emphasized that the reversal of the direction of rotation becomes a mere matter of reversing the application ofthe motive fluid. I

Webs 45, being parts of the stator sections,

'not only provide radial thrust surfaces for walls of the steam chests is such that orifices pistons 5 and 6.

only large enough to permit communication with the radial port components 44 are left. The radial components register with the various chests at said orifices at determined times so that steam may be'admitted or exhausted as the case may be.

In designing the sets of ports attention will be paid to the periods of steam admission, cut off, expansion and exhaust.

Steam must be admitted to the working chamber 7 as soon as the pistons 5 and 6 (Fig. 3) clear the valve plate. The point of cut off will be so determined that the greatest expansion of the steam may be taken advantage of. The clearing of the valve plate 26 is to enable the passage therethrough of In order that this may be accomplished, the valve plate 26 must have openings 47 (Fig. 5). The gearing is such that the valve plate 1 will make one revolution to each revolution of the rotor 4. The openings 47 will thus arrive in time to let the pistons 5 and 6 through. By properly designing the openings the transit of the pistons will be accomplished with ease, and with practically no escape of steam from one side to the other of the workingv chamber.

The operation is readily understood. Inasmuch as the movement of the pistons 5 and 6 through the openings 47 was last alluded to, it is believed desirable to describe the progression of the pistons and openings diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 7. The advancing piston 5 is shown in full lines in the position a. The nearest corners ofthe piston and the opening 47 should meet simultaneously. As thepiston 5 advances towards the reader, and the valve plate 26 moves in the left and downward direction, the piston 5 will gradually fill the opening 47 until it reaches the dotted line position b. The parts continue to move until the piston reaches the dotted line position 0 at which time the opening 47 will have passed out of registration with the working chamber 7 and the latter will be found closed. The valve plate 26 intersects the working chamber 7 and provides an abutment for the pistons.

The same operation occurs in respect to both pistons. It has been emphasized already that steam may be admitted at either pair of chests l6, 18 or 17 19. By admitting steam in the first pair the rotor 4 will be driven in the counterclockwise direction 3) but if steam is admitted at the other pair the reverse will be the case. The running of the valve plate 26 upon the semi-globular see tions 11 and a portion of the rotor 4 makes a compact arrangement. The engine will lend itself to many uses, it belng outside of the province of this description to attempt a listing thereof. 7

It is desired to say that a number of. the engines may be assembled upon a single main shaft 3. In that case the various units would be so set that all could not rest at dead center at the same time. The admission of steam would result in the immediate starting of the engine. Inasmuch as the use of a number of engineson a common shaft comprises nothing more than a duplication, an illustration of the arrangement is omitted.

While the construction and arrangement of the improved engine is that of a generally preferred form, obviously modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim 1. A rotor with a piston, a stator body engaged in part by the peripheral surface of the rotor and having a working chamber for the piston, sections separably fitted in the remainder of the body and having surfaces in continuation of the peripheral surface of the rotor, and a valve plate having ports to control the passage of motive fluid to the working chamber, riding upon said sections and a portion of the rotor periphery.

2. An engine comprising a rotor having a piston and a shaft, separable semi-spherical sections abutting the side edges of the rotor and composing a spherical assembly, bearin s on the sections supporting the shaft, a glo ular body containing said assembly and having a working chamber receiving the piston, and a valve plate revolving upon said spherical assembly, having ports to control the flow of motive fluid in respect to the working chamber, and an opening for the periodic passage therethrough of the piston.

3. In an engine, a shaft carrying a rotor, a stator in which the rotor is revoluble having openings, sections fitted in the body having edges abuttingthe rotor, and bearings carried by the sections, occupying the openings and supporting the shaft.

4. In an engine, a stator having a globular body with aligned openings, a shaft passing through the openings, semi-globular sections having bearings occupying the openings and supporting the shaft, and a rotor fixed on the the sections tending to hold them against the walls of the body.

' shaft, being disposed and revolving between 5. In an engine, a shaft, a rotor comprising a portion of a globe carried by the shaft, bearings for the shaft, each including semi-globular sections abutting the rotor thus completing a globular assemblage, and a stator in which the assemblage is fitted, having openings for the protrusion of the bearings. Signed at Chattanooga in the county of Hamilton and State of Tennessee this 10th day of May, A; D. 1928. v

' DAVID ALLEN GRAY. 

